THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking serious note of online channels disseminating content about ‘sure questions’ that they claim would be asked in the Onam examinations, the general education department has lodged a complaint with the state police chief demanding urgent action against such channels, alleging they were misleading students mostly those in classes 8 to 10.
The complaint filed by the private secretary to General Education Minister N Samsudheen states claims such as “Question paper can be provided”, “Only questions mentioned by us will be asked”, and “Studying this alone is enough” are being spread through various videos, which create false expectations and misunderstandings about the exam.
Sources close to the minister said some YouTube channels even use his photo in their content. “There are many channels releasing such content on the eve of exams. This itself is wrong, as it promotes the concept that last-minute preparation is enough. When they use the minister’s photo, it falsely conveys apparent validation from the government, especially when Onam exams are going on,” a source from the minister’s office told TNIE.
Stating that the issue came to higher authorities’ attention on Friday, the official said the department alone cannot act, as online tuitions do not fall under its purview. The department has demanded immediate probe into channels that “mislead” students with such claims, and take legal action if found guilty. It has urged the police to issue official notices to ensure students, parents and teachers do not fall for such fake claims.